Category: Bird

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/19 Observation Time: 10:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Black-and-white Warbler Scientific Name: Mniotilta varia Comments: Black and white warblers make a high-pitched squeaking sound like a turning wheel that needs to be oiled. They are most often found scurrying up and down tree trunks and branches looking under the bark for insect larvae. The one in […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/19 Observation Time: 9:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Black-throated Blue Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga caerulescens Comments: Black-throated blue warblers pass through Sharon in early May on their northward migration. Learn to recognize their buzzy “zree–zree–zreeeee” song to improve your chances of seeing one. Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPKuQB1bEqs. You can monitor the bird migration in spring by keeping an […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/19 Observation Time: 8:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Magnolia Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga magnolia Comments: These gorgeous little birds pass through Sharon in early May on their northward migration. Learn to recognize their song to improve your chances of seeing one early on a clear morning at the end of April or in early May. More […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/19 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Pileated Woodpecker Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus Comments: I found this bird by following the sound of its hammering. It was in the exact same location as it was on May 7, 2019. Shortly after I took this photo, I saw it mate with another pileated woodpecker. More Information: Audubon […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/19 Observation Time: 7:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Eastern Towhee (male) Scientific Name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus Comments: Towhees are common birds in Sharon, especially along edges between woods and open fields, but they are heard more than seen. The male’s song sounds like he’s singing, “Drink your tea.” They are sometimes seen scratching among dead leaves on the […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/9/19 Observation Time: 6:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Scarlet tanager (orange variant) Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea Comments: Male scarlet tanagers are typically bright red with jet black wings (females are drab green). This male, however, was as orange as a Baltimore oriole. Its song was unquestionably that of a scarlet tanager. More Information:  Flickr

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/8/19 Observation Time: 11:13 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Ovenbird Scientific Name: Seiurus aurocapilla Comments: This is one of the most common birds in the woods at Moose Hill. Learn to recognize its song, an insistent and loud ‘tea-Cher, tea-Cher, tea-CHER, Tea-CHER, TEA-CHER’, and you will be able to find them. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/8/19 Observation Time: 11:10 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Scarlet Tanager Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea Comments: Scarlet tanagers often play host to eggs of the brown-headed cowbird (male and female shown below), particularly where the forest habitat has been fragmented. When a pair of tanagers notices a female cowbird approaching, they aggressively drive her away. If they […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/8/19 Observation Time: 10:20 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Red-bellied woodpecker Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus Comments: I kept hearing their distinctive kwirr call in a certain area, so I investigated. When I finally spotted them, I saw they were nesting in a cavity high in a dead tree. Sharon is at the northern edge of the red-bellied […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/8/19 Observation Time: 9:40 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Comments: This male was guarding the territory surrounding a nesting box where his mate had laid her blue eggs. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/8/19 Observation Time: 9:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-gray gnatcatcher Scientific Name: Polioptila caerulea Comments: The blue-gray gnatcatcher is the northernmost-occurring species of gnatcatcher, and the only truly migratory one. Most members of its genus are resident in Central and South America. The nesting range of blue-gray gnatcatchers has been shifting northward since the early twentieth […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/8/19 Observation Time: 7:55 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Magnolia Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga magnolia Comments: Warblers are like jewels in the woods. I was very lucky to get this shot, but those who spend time looking around outdoors, especially on sunny mornings in early May, are treated to sightings like this once in a while. More […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/19 Observation Time: 8:28 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-headed Vireo Scientific Name: Vireo solitarius Comments: Sorry about the poor picture quality. My challenge to you is to get out there and take a better one! Learn to recognize the song so you will know when you are near one. The best time to find one is […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/19 Observation Time: 7:42 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Double-crested Cormorant Scientific Name: Phalacrocorax auritus Comments: When migrating, cormorants fly loosely in lines, as opposed to the familiar “vees” that geese use. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/19 Observation Time: 7:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Pileated Woodpecker Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus Comments: This magnificent crow-sized bird was the inspiration for the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. Unfortunately, its cousin, the ivory-billed woodpecker, has gone extinct. More Information: Audubon Guide to N. American Birds

Observer: Ilan Fisher Observation Date: 4/3/19 Observation Time: 2:00 PM Observation Location: Junction of E. Foxboro St. & Harding St. Common Name: Red-tailed Hawk Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis Comments: Red-tails are big, but they only weigh a maximum of about 3 lbs. They can live up to 30 years. They feed predominantly on small mammals. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Richard Kramer Observation Date: 2/11/19 Observation Time: 10:30 a.m. Observation Location: west side of Lake Massapoag near the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Common Name: Red-shouldered Hawk Scientific Name: Buteo lineatus Comments: One of the best ways to find Red-shouldered Hawks is to learn their distinctive whistle. Listen for these birds in and around wet forests, where you may find them hunting from a perch along stream […]

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 12/15/18 Observation Time: morning Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (near feeders) Common Name: Pine Siskin Scientific Name: Spinus pinus Comments: Every couple of years, Pine Siskins make unpredictable movements called irruptions into southern and eastern North America. Though they’re erratic, these movements may not be entirely random. Banding data suggest that some birds may fly west-east across the continent […]

Observer: Michael Scutari Acciavatti   Observation Date: 12/6/2018 Observation Location: Prescott Pond, Lakwood Drive, Stoughton Common Name: Osprey Scientific Name: Pandion haliaetus Comments: Ospreys can also be seen in Sharon. They are most commonly seen over a lake or pond, where they dive for fish. More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 12/3/18 Observation time: 9:30 a.m. Observation Location: Lake Massapoag, swimming very close to shore Common Name: Red-throated Loon Scientific Name: Gavia stellata Comments: Adult, non-breeding plummage. Breeds in the arctic. More information: Wikipedia

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 12/3/18 Observation Time: 9:10 a.m. Observation Location: on trail in woods, near Sharon dog park Common Name: Red-breasted Nuthatch Scientific Name: Sitta canadensis Comments: There have been flocks of these for weeks in these woods, more than I have ever observed over many years, possibly due to plentiful food sources. Note that the population of red-breasted nuthatches is shifting northward, according to the […]

Observer: Todd Arnold Observation Date: 11/30/18 Observation Time: 10:45 a.m. Observation Location: Lake Massapoag Common Name: Bald Eagle Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus Comments: Large bird with white head and tail feathers spotted over Lake Massapoag. Unquestionably a bald eagle, it was seen riding the thermals before the clouds rolled in and covered the sun. Could this one be scouting a good spot to nest? Or was […]

Observer: Vin Zollo Observation Date: 11/30/18 Observation Time: morning Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Red Crossbill Scientific Name: Loxia curvirostra Comments: The Red Crossbill is so dependent upon conifer seeds it even feeds them to its young. Consequently, it can breed any time it finds a sufficiently large cone crop, even in the depths of winter. A flock of about 20 red crossbills […]

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 11/25/18 Observation Time: 3:30 p.m. Observation Location: Lake Massapoag Common Name: Mute Swan Scientific Name: Cygnus olor Comments: juveniles (4) and adults. These graceful birds are native to Eurasia. They were introduced in North America in the late 19th century, and are now common here. Beware! Swans can be aggressive. They may attack if they feel threatened. More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 11/24/18 Observation Time: 8:30 a.m. Observation Location: in a tree at the edge of Lake Massapoag, near Beach St. Common Name: Belted Kingfisher Scientific Name: Megaceryle alcyon Comments: Kingfishers have also been sighted near the boat launch area and in the Gavins Pond area. They dive for small fish. They nest in burrows. More Information: All About Birds